August tonnage extended the recent slowdown
The American Trucking Associations reported on September 22 that its advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 0.5% in August after a revised 1.2% decline in July. The August index registered 112.7, down from 113.3 in July, with 2015 set as the base year of 100. ATA said tonnage declined in four of the last five months and was 4.3% below its recent peak in March.
The index was also lower than a year earlier
August tonnage was 1.6% below August 2025, a wider year-over-year decline than July’s 0.7% decrease. Despite the recent weakness, the index remained up 1% for the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 because of stronger gains from February through April. ATA’s not seasonally adjusted index was 116.1 in August, 0.6% below July’s 116.7.
Lower volume does not describe every freight market
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the trucking market has shifted this year and attributed the generally better market conditions to reduced capacity rather than robust demand. The index is dominated by contract freight, so it should not be treated as a direct spot-rate measure or a forecast for every lane, commodity or equipment type. ATA also identifies the figure as preliminary and subject to revision in its final monthly report.
Why the measure matters
ATA says trucks move 72.7% of the tonnage carried by domestic freight modes. Its index therefore provides a broad signal about freight activity, but national tonnage can move differently from a carrier’s accepted loads, revenue, deadhead, customer mix or regional demand. A lower index can coexist with firmer pricing when capacity exits faster than freight volume declines.
Driver and fleet takeaway
Fleets should compare the national trend with weekly loaded miles, tender acceptance, revenue per total mile, empty-mile percentage and customer-specific volume before changing rates or capacity. Protect margins by costing each lane with current fuel, labor, maintenance, insurance and detention assumptions rather than chasing volume alone. Drivers and owner-operators should ask whether a quoted rate covers all miles and expected dwell time, preserve proof of detention and avoid interpreting a single national index as a guarantee that their local market will strengthen or weaken.
American Trucking Associations — ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 0.5% in August
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